DJR Team Penske to review McLaughlin penalty

McLaughlin's title hopes effectively unravelled thanks to being pinged for speeding in pitlane while leading the early stages of the final race of the season.

The resulting penalty dropped him back in the field, and he was later penalised twice more for driving infringements while trying to make his way back through the pack on the hard-to-pass street circuit.

While not looking to have the final result overturned, DJRTP has confirmed it will review the penalty with Supercars to address the fact that its own data suggests McLaughlin was under the 40 km/h mark while in the lane.

"According to the team’s analysis of multiple different data/video feeds, Scott didn’t exceed the 40 km/h speed limit at any point in pitlane," read a statement from DJR Team Penske.

"Members of Supercars technical staff have agreed to attend a meeting at the DJR Team Penske workshop on Monday, 11 December to review the incident with the team’s technical staff.

"Data retrieved from the car aligned to television footage of the car entering pit lane and the footage from the MoTeC VCS Judicial Camera (note: Judicial Camera footage cannot be publicly released without Supercars permission) has been analysed. Each analysis demonstrates McLaughlin’s car never exceeded the speed limit.

"In fact, when McLaughlin released the brake pedal prior to the pit entry line, the car was travelling at 33.5 km/h. Following entry, the car’s pit speed limiter brought the vehicle speed up to a steady 38.2 km/h without ever exceeding the prescribed 40 km/h limit.

"The data reviewed includes both front and rear wheel speed (as supplied by Supercars), throttle position, brake pressure, GPS speed and longitudinal G-force.

"DJR Team Penske accepts that the outcome of the Championship cannot be altered, but the team feels it has a responsibility to seek clarity and to ensure the methods used to enforce pit lane speed limits going forward are as accurate as possible for all competitors."

Supercars judged McLaughlin to have sped based on a system of two timing loops spaced three metres apart, with a 10 per cent tolerance.

Speaking after finishing third on the final day in Newcastle, David Reynolds was sceptical that a mistake could have been made by Supercars.

"He either did or he didn’t [speed], really," said the Erebus driver.

"There’s no Judge of Fact there, there’s two lines you cross that average your speed. So if you speed, you speed; if not…"